Boot from PXE instructions
To boot a machine with pxe, you need to :
- have a net card with a boot prom and a not too old boot agent
- configure a tfpt server
- configure a dhcp server
Booting from pxe will show you exactly the same boot menu as with local boot
from cdrom or floppy or usb key.
After the machine is booted, you will need to provide a source (cdrom, usb or
ftp/http) like with other installations
You should be able to use pxe even if there is no 'lan' option in the bios boot
order. This is because the net card boot agent take the hand during the boot
process if it is set to do so on the net card prom.
*/ Update the card boot agent /*
If you don't want to wast time to understand why it may not work, you are
strongly encouraged to first update old net card firmware with a recent
version (PXE 2.0 / boot agent v4 or better). This operation is low risk but
only work with net cards not integrated into motherboards.
For net card integrated into motherboard, only a bios upgrade (if available)
could be a solution.
Instructions for Intel net cards upgrade
- download Boot.exe, uncompress it
- copy content of IntelPRO/Boot agent to a floppy
http://www.intel.com/support/network/adapter/pro100/bootagent/index.htm
- boot from a dos floppy, put the floppy with Intel software and run
ibautil -upgrade
To enable an additional configuration boot menu during machine start,
allowing you to change the net card options or boot order, use
ibautil -setupenable -messageenable
Instructions for 3Com cards
- download the last mbautils at
http://support.3com.com/infodeli/tools/nic/mba.htm
use "crtrl+alt+B" to configure it !
Instructions for Realtek cards
- download dos utility at
http://www.realtek.com.tw/downloads/downloads1-3.aspx?series=16&Software=True
* Installing a tftp server *
Here is describe how to install tftp-hpa
(installing an other tftp server is possible)
- build from source with configure && make install or use your packaging system
- configure the server to use /var/tftp (or whatever directory you want).
Installation in gentoo :
- configuration is in /etc/conf.d/in.tftpd, set INTFTPD_PATH="/var/tftp"
- start the server with /etc/init.d/in.tftpd start
- set the files loaded by pxe
- unpack the ipcop-install-pxe package inside /var/tftp with
tar -C /var/tftp -xvzf ipcop-install-pxe-(version).i386.tgz
- link or copy ipcop-pxe.model to a file whose name start with '01-'
and end with the MAC address in lower case of the card.
cd /var/tftp/pxelinux.cfg
ln -sf ipcop-pxe.1.4.11.model 01-00-90-27-92-44-bd
* Configure dhcp server *
The dhcp server is necessary to give an IP and redirect the request to the
tftp server. You could use another IPCop to act as the dhcp server.
For an IPCop dhcp server,
- check the 'Allow bootp clients" box
- add a fixed lease with
- the MAC address of the card,
- an IP out of the dhcp start..end address dynamic range (but in the
same network),
- fill 'Next address" box with the address of the tftp server
- leave 'Root path' empty
Because -s option is used to start tftp server as 'nobody' user, the tftp
server is run chrooted inside the designated directory, so let the 'Root path'
box empty on the dhcp configuration.
For other machines,refer to http://syslinux.zytor.com/pxe.php#tftp
Once the new IPCop is installed, to retrieve normal boot, you could
- unset the boot agent on the net card
- or disable the fixed lease on the dhcp server
- or remove the link or the MAC file inside /var/tftp/pxelinux.cfg
Second or third solution will create a small delay to start until the pxe boot
fail.
* Troubleshooting *
Verify the tftp server run with  ps ax | grep [t]ftp
Use tcpdump somewhere on the same network
- to write a packets log
tcpdump -i eth0 -n -w tcpdump.log (stop with ctrl-c)
- to read the log
tcpdump -r tcpdump.log (only traffic headers)
tcpdump -Ar tcpdump.log (trafic with details, a good solution to see error messages)